Very High Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy

Weekes, T.C.

"Weekes is the foremost pioneer in the atmospheric Cerenkov experimental discipline. For his seminal contribution, Weekes was awarded the 1997 Bruno Rossi Prize, the American Astronomical Society's highest honor in high-energy astrophysics. It is fitting that, through his book, Weekes provides the most comprehensive exposition to date on high-energy gamma-ray astronomy. Very High Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy is written at the graduate or, perhaps, senior-undergraduate level. It is also a useful text for experimentalists, observers, and theorists. Because it is not heavily imbued with mathematical developments, the text is extremely digestable and accessible to an audience much broader than just high-energy astronomy specialists. It is a pleasure to read. The emerging scientist can benefit much from Weekes's knowledge of a young field now reaping the fruits of his and others' labors. Weekes's work is complementary in style, content, and perspective to extant gamma-ray astronomy texts, such as those by Carl Fichtel, Jacob Trombka, Floyd Stecker, and Volker Schonfelder. Coming from the father of TeV gamma-ray astronomy, Very High Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy will prove a worthy addition to such company."- Matthew Baring, Physics Today, September 2004

• Foundations of Gamma Ray AstronomyVery High Energy Gamma Ray DetectorsHigh Energy Gamma Ray Telescopes in SpaceGalactic PlaneSupernova and Supernova RemnantsGamma-ray Observations of the Crab NebulaGamma-ray Observations of SNRGamma-Ray Pulsars and BinariesUnidentified SourcesExtragalactic SourcesActive Galactic Nuclei: ObservationsActive Galactic Nuclei: ModelsGamma Ray BurstsDiffuse Background RadiationAppendices